[Archived] Backroom Staff

[Majiball]

Not really, head of sports science with a 2:1 and who thinks only strength tests are needed for a player to return to playing football and a 1st team coach who's been coaching at under 18 level for one year.

Great.

[CapeTownRover]

Okay i guesa not lol

[Parsonblue]

Not really, head of sports science with a 2:1 and who thinks only strength tests are needed for a player to return to playing football and a 1st team coach who's been coaching at under 18 level for one year.

Great.

Ultimately Maj it's down to the manager to surround himself with people who he can trust to do the job he wants in terms of support. At the end of the day it's manager's job that is on the line and I can fully understand him wanting people around him who he knows and trusts.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Anybody else feel alot better, in terms of the backroom staff being appointed? Maybe its just me trying to look for a feel good factor again, but im much more at ease with the additions thus far. All seems very sensible, so what is going on right now? Lol

It's good that the manager has been allowed to bring in his own staff but they are pretty much an unknown quantity, just like the manager is right now. We will have to see if the King incident was just a one off or not, if it's repeated then the backroom staff and their decision making should be questioned.

[den]

It's more important that he's happy with his backroom staff, than we are. Everything will depend on him and his team being able to get together a squad strong enough to challenge. That's their priority and that will define our immediate future. Sum of the parts and all that.

[darrenrover]

Ultimately Maj it's down to the manager to surround himself with people who he can trust to do the job he wants in terms of support. At the end of the day it's manager's job that is on the line and I can fully understand him wanting people around him who he knows and trusts.

Parson, I agree with your sentiments but like Maj, I feel that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on who Appleton is familiar with, jobs for the boys approach and not enough on ability to be a success in the role.

I however hope they are a real success for all our sakes.

[Parsonblue]

Parson, I agree with your sentiments but like Maj, I feel that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on who Appleton is familiar with, jobs for the boys approach and not enough on ability to be a success in the role. I however hope they are a real success for all our sakes.

A manager has to appointment people who he can trust. That usually means people who he knows well. Hughes always takes the same staff with him, Redknapp is the same. Personally, I'm happy that the manager has surrounded himself with people who he has worked with before and who he is happy to trust. If the manager believes they are qualified to support him that is really all that matters. At the end of the day it is the manager who will be working with them.

[Majiball]

Lads I do hope they are a roaring success and that we get promoted. I completely understand why he's surrounding himself with people he trusts as I've been at a club where there are factions IE players who would rather have this manager and staff the same. I've even visited one club and been sat having lunch with the sports scientists, who were slagging off the physio's, the physio's were slagging off the coaches and the coaches slagging off some of the other coaches. It was a horrible environement and success was never going to happen, you must be together. But in the world of science knowledge is power and we lack knowledge within that staff. I'd really like to see someone brought in who is say the head of performance who basically helps them all put it together and keeps it up to date. Even under Sam we were behind the times as the workload is high in the role and research takes time and experimentation. SS said he had appointted one a Croatian and he'd signed a contract but alas he cannot get a work-permit, Zwonko Komes ex Bayern, trouble is he as far as my colleagues know doesn't have the qualifications either. Even then if Neville is the new head of SS and he really did sign a contract then surely that's yet more money @#/? down the drain that we just don't have.

Parson trust can be built and will normally be given by the man appointted to the man who gave him the oppurtunity. A consult ala Barry Drust at Liverpool, something someone as it will not be enough at present. If we get promoted we'll be competing against teams who have these people and sadly we will be lacking. Fitness is a massive issue at present, it's the middle of the season and they need to be increased whilst keeping the players fresh and fatique free, can they do it? We'll see, but there are ways if you know and comprehend all the sports science aspects or have access to people that do. It's tricky and different for each individual as well, further knowledge is needed.

[OJRovers]

I agree with Maj here. Glad Appleton has been allowed to bring in his own backroom staff, but on paper there is a clear lack of experience at this level from the assistant manager downwards. This might get found out in the long term.

[CapeTownRover]

All Ifs and buts OJ. Right now, its all about guess work, and im afraid that once the fans continue to be negative, then we will continue to struggle. We constantly living off assumptions as fans, just because we feel that Appleton or any other manager is not the one right for the job. Its been imo much better from Rovers, and while we may or may not make the play offs this season, its a time to reflect and work towards next seasons push for promotion. Im relxed about this season now, because imo its can now go one of 2 ways. Either a late playoff charge, or we just miss out, but take confidence into pre season and the new season.

[martonrover]

In defence of our new sports science guy and physio, unfortunately I think King is just going to be one of those players who picks up recurring injuries.

[CapeTownRover]

We had some good physios before, and well, Grella has just called it quits. So yeh, lets moan about the new guys.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

If he surrounds himself with people he trusts and we start winning, all well and good. If it bombs, he goes. Same in every club. At least he's bringing in a team, something Henning didn't or wasn't allowed to do. I'm all for it, he's making the first good noises for two years. I want 3 points come Saturday, end of!

[Majiball]

Is fevre still not at Rovers? One of the best in the game.

If he'd made it into the 2nd half you could get on board with it, but Hammys are notorious in football and for it to occur after 8 mins just makes me think the fitness tests weren't enough. I'll note that Appleton said we did all the strength tests we could and it may just be he choose the wrong words, but football is not just about strength and I wonder if he was put through any sort of endurance tests IE running sprinting etc.

[chaddyrovers]

yes Dave Fevre is still at Rovers

[Amo]

I don't know... Ince opted for 'experience' and we got Archie Knox. It's not always what it's cracked up to be.

[neophox]

Lets get Appleton on with his new staff. Looking forward to saturday.

[LeChuck]

All the signs are that Appleton has the amount of control that a manager should have in a well run Championship club.

He's obviously picked his backroom staff. He's shipped out a Kentaro signing (Formica) and the players we are linked with are players he has worked with before.

These are all steps in the right direction.

[CapeTownRover]

agree with that LeC... its time this club moves forward a bit, even if its slow steps forward. We do need something to cheer about, and that victory over Derby was a welcome result. If we can continue to put together a group of people, who are up for the task, and wont shy away from getting things done, then we might be onto something. We now seem to have 2 tough characters in Appleton and Moore, so hopefully they can kick these players into gear

[K-Hod]

Parson, I agree with your sentiments but like Maj, I feel that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on who Appleton is familiar with, jobs for the boys approach and not enough on ability to be a success in the role. I however hope they are a real success for all our sakes.

To be fair, don't all managers tend to work with the same backroom staff from club to club??

[Exiled in Toronto]

You can't be half pregnant on this: he either appoints his own staff or they get imposed on him. We would all agree the former is better.

I'm not sure how many PhD's Souness's motley crew had between them, probably not an 11+ even, but it didn't seem to matter on our way to promotion, Europe and a trophy.

[Kelbo]

You can't be half pregnant on this: he either appoints his own staff or they get imposed on him. We would all agree the former is better.

I'm not sure how many PhD's Souness's motley crew had between them, probably not an 11+ even, but it didn't seem to matter on our way to promotion, Europe and a trophy.

I think the answer there is this, since Souness's days, Sports Sciences have come very much to the fore within the game, Hughes was big on it as was Allardyce, both Manchester Clubs and I think Everton as well, not to mention the Spanish clubs, probably many more too!!

[Majiball]

Since we have been able to track protein expression and various other notable discoveries in the last 10 or so years the science has really taken off and lots of discoveries have been made. Many many more will. You need to be right up to date to ensure you are as fit as possible, so many factors psychologically and physiologically are linked and even what you eat affects how you feel and react and perform. It's an absolute minefield at present as it's all researched seperatly IE psychology and physiology and all done generically without the individual being appreiciated. Once all the disciplines are brought together things will move forward even quicker. It's evolving everyday and undergrad degrees just aren't what they used to be anymore as most universities would agree that unfortuantly the kids we get aren't at the level they were 20 years ago and the first year is all about bringing them up to speed. hence massive attrition rates.

I'll put this all into perspective for people I visited a La Liga club a couple of years ago, not a big one similiar to ourselves they have a lab and experiment on their players (as do United). You just wouldn't see that here in the main, they endorse the science so much three of us got contract offers of the back of a 2 hour chat, to carry tests and research. Just wouldn't happen over here and yet British research in the field is No.1 in the world and shunned by our major sport. Football shuns it because they don't understand it and the new youth modules just sum it all up. Brought out in 2006 (?), no consultation with the scientists whose work the FA ripped off and they got it all wrong, hence the massive delay in module 3 coming out as obviously said scientists were rather @#/? off at being ripped off. Literature is ignored simply because the language level is too high and football has even asked them to write simply as a few long words and they stop reading the paper. All the sports in this country who have embraced sports science are thriving, football is being left behind in this country. Go to the states (I would never have thought I'd write this 10 years ago) and they are making massive headway. Why the scientists have carte blanche they dictate everything bar football and in 20-30 years once they their coaching is up to speed europe will be in trouble IMHO.

Those clubs who choose to embrace it and eploit others ignorance will thrive just as Bolton did under Sam. As quite frankly footballers aren't fit in the grand scale of things and that's before I even start on the psychology we create within the game in players, which again IMHO is so derogatory it's unreal.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I think the answer there is this, since Souness's days, Sports Sciences have come very much to the fore within the game, Hughes was big on it as was Allardyce, both Manchester Clubs and I think Everton as well, not to mention the Spanish clubs, probably many more too!!

I agree, but even at the time, Souness's mob were not seen as being anywhere near the leading edge of anything. What was his number 2's name, I keep thinking Jan Molby but it's an earlier L'pool player who looked like him?

[Majiball]

Alan Murray????